Recycling Robot, Duck Earn Toms River Public Works State Award

TOMS RIVER, NJ — The Toms River Department of Public Works has been honored for its recycling education program by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

The award, the 2020 Outstanding Educator/Educational Program, recognized the department for its Clean Communities program focusing on nonpoint source pollution and recycling, created by John Clark, the department's educational specialist.

The programs include "Tom the Duck" and "Rocky the Recycling Robot," who perform educational skits at Toms River elementary schools.

The "Tom the Duck" read-along puppet show program was created to educate children at an early age about the importance of not littering and to recycle. Children learn there is trash floating in the river, which is the home of "Tom the Duck." They learn about where the pollution is coming from, how trash can make its way to the ocean and river from their front yard and how it can harm our marine life.

The children all receive back packs, crayons and the informational coloring book for the read-along show, which lasts about 30 to 40 minutes and reaches more than 1,000 students a year.

Clark says with this program they are hoping to make a significant difference in our town’s ecological footprint.

"Our goal is to introduce the students at an early age to the harm littering has on our ecosystem and wildlife, and the positive effects of recycling," he said.

In addition to the classroom activities, the public works department takes the lessons outside with "Rocky" the Recycling Robot. Rocky’s main focus is recycling and reducing litter and is used for events, field days and boardwalk visits. Rocky reaches roughly 5,000 children and adults each year.

Anthony Benyola, acting director of the public works department, said learning how to care for our environment is an essential life skill.

"Fortunately, the three 'Rs'– Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – are relatively simple to introduce. Learning the importance of being sustainable shows children that the environment is important, and can only help them become environmentally responsible adults," he said.

The criteria for the NJDEP’s Outstanding Educator/Educational Program includes:

Any teacher, administrator, community or student group, environmental educator or individual student whose actions have resulted in increased participation in recycling.

This year’s recycling awards ceremony will take place virtually during an Association of New Jersey Recyclers webinar on Nov. 19.

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